How about some success stories....

[mitchgat]

Having seen Consumer Reports list our car as one of their "least likely to go 200,000 miles" today, combined with what seems to be the popularity of bemoaning the shortcomings of these cars, I would just love to see a few people here be able to brag about how their XC's have run like a dream, rarely break down, and just keep going.....they have to be out there somewhere!

As an '03 owner of a couple of months now, all the negative pub has me wondering about my purchase.....that and my wife throwing this article in my face today:)

Bring me success stories! Especially success stories with an '03, but reallly, any will do!

[nzoliver]

Howdy,

Well I've had mine for 4 months, and apart from doing the 'essentials' as prescribed here and by Volvo, all's well!! ( And long may it be so!!!:cool:)

[thumbup]

[Phrog]

My '01XC has 89k miles, and since the factory warranty expired, it has had
only 1 small problem, which cost ~$100 to fix. Other than that, it's been
routine maintenance. My wife loves the car, and wants to keep it forever.
It's still comfortable on long trips, reasonably fun to drive, holds
huge amounts of baby stuff, and not showing its age.

-Phrog

[aventuras]

my 2000xc has 155000km aside from normal service never broke down drives like a new one. service is the secret.....

george

[funglenn]

Our 01 is going strong with no issues with 61k miles. Remember you are going to hear people nitpick and moan. Even the bad transmissions are mathematically not great. It is not like 50% or even 40 or even 10% of all tranmissions are going bad. The numbers are small but those people compain loudly (it is after all a major expensive issue).

Personally I stay away from this website for months at a time, sometimes it makes me feel like the car will die and disintegrate sitting outside my door. Again only the bad things are what you hear about, people with great experiences with any car don't sit and write threads about them. They would be a boring read!

The car is great and I bought an S60R for myself, I liked the wife's car so much.

my two cents.

[blkdiamond]

I have only had my '01 XC70 with 88k miles for just over a month and I am very happy with my purchase. I recently sold a 1989 BMW 735i that was an incredible car, but every few months I had to drop a couple hundred into her to keep her running, and like a Volvo, everything is more expensive. So I am used to having to spend money on vehicles. When I first drove this car I fell in love with it. When I was looking for a new car I had a few requirements.

1. Decent gas mileage: I drive 35-40 miles per day for work and my Dodge Ram P/U was not cutting it. With the XC70 I average 24 mpg per tank, and have gotten 29-30 mpg on highway trips.

2. Plenty of room for family: I have a wife and two kids to haul around with everything that goes with them. I was looking for a station wagon that had plenty of room.

3. AWD/4WD: Living in Colorado this is a huge benefit, not necessary but nice to have.

4. Safe: Do I really need to talk about the safety of these cars.

5. Decent looking: Personally I think the Volvo's are beautiful cars, and one of the better looking wagons.

Not only does the XC70 fit all of those requirements perfectly, it really is a fun car to drive and has plenty of power for me.

I fully expect to have to put some money into the car over the years, and I hope that it will last me for years to come.

Regarding this website, I agree with funglenn, it is a bit discouraging to read posts from people who have had so many problems with these vehicles, or just feel that they need to point out every flaw with the XC, and if you didn't know any better you would think that these were the worst cars on the road. I think this site has a wealth of great information, and for the most part many people on here are very helpful, but there are some that should probably just sell their XC's and move on.

Just my .02.

[wgriswold]

I subscribe to Consumer Reports and the recent article about automobile longevity did not call out our XC70's as unlikely to go 200,000 miles. The table of cars unlikely to go 200,000 miles did include the XC90 which CR has reported as being unreliable since its introduction.

My my2003 has been trouble free for 50,000 miles. I doubt that I will hit 200,000 because an expensive repair that is more than the car is worth will probably drive me to a new car before the 200,000 mile mark.

[JRL]

[quote=funglenn;76693] It is not like 50% or even 40 or even 10% of all tranmissions are going bad.

/quote]
Hmm, that's not quite true.
I know if VERY FEW 01 trannies that have stayed together in one piece after 100K miles. Almost all shift poorly
I'm not sure of the numbers, no one is as Volvo won't give them out but I would say 40% is a conservative estimate of bad 01 trannies

[blkdiamond]

[quote=funglenn;76693] It is not like 50% or even 40 or even 10% of all tranmissions are going bad.

/quote]
Hmm, that's not quite true.
I know if VERY FEW 01 trannies that have stayed together in one piece after 100K miles. Almost all shift poorly
I'm not sure of the numbers, no one is as Volvo won't give them out but I would say 40% is a conservative estimate of bad 01 trannies

JRL could you direct me/us to some documentation that supports your claim? It seems that if 40% (which you say is conservative) of the transmissions in the '01 go bad, Volvo would have addressed the problem. Look at all the other car companies that have addressed problem's with vehicles that have been affected by far less than 40%.

[gary]

Mitchgat,

I have an '03 XC70 with just over 56K miles on it. It's been pretty much worry-free since I took delivery of it in Feb 2003. Sure...I've had to replace/repair a few things, most of which I would categorize as normal wear and tear items. I've certainly had nothing go wrong that I would characterize as a catastrophic failure that would lead me to wonder why I ever decided to buy this vehicle. In fact, I was so impressed with the '03, that I decided way back in 2004/2005 timeframe that we would buy another XC70 before we left Europe and came back to the States, and we did that last December (2007 XC70). Click on this thread to see how I felt about the '03 in 2005 (after two years of ownership) and I can pretty much say that my opinion of it hasn't changed: http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5551&highlight=purchase

I pretty much intend to drive it until it can't go anymore; and hopefully that time won't come anytime soon. I do think if you put forth the effort to do the maintenance stuff that ALL car manufacturers encourage owners to do, your car should be fine. HOWEVER, sometimes you just end up with one of those vehicles that is a nightmare to own (my nightmare was a 1988 Dodge Daytona that my now-wife brought to our relationship) and when you get one of those you just have to unload it as quickly as possible. I hope your '03 doesn't become a nightmare (my experience with mine and from hearing other owners on this forum is that the '03 is a pretty solid ride). I also hope the previous owner of your vehicle did the suggested/recommended maintenance -- that will certainly help keep the vehicle in good working condition. Best of luck!

[BillAileo]

Our experience with our '03 XC70 tracks what Gary posted. We have 80,000 miles on it and everything is running just fine. We pay attention to preventive maintenance generally doing it ourselves including regular lubricant changes, like replacing the transmission fluid using the "Gibbons" method. I'd have to say it has been a very good vehicle for us.

Bill

[funglenn]

[quote=funglenn;76693] It is not like 50% or even 40 or even 10% of all tranmissions are going bad.

/quote]
Hmm, that's not quite true.
I know if VERY FEW 01 trannies that have stayed together in one piece after 100K miles. Almost all shift poorly
I'm not sure of the numbers, no one is as Volvo won't give them out but I would say 40% is a conservative estimate of bad 01 trannies

JRL,

I normally agree with your posts, but what data do you have? For example I see on this boards informal poll 50% of the tranmissions have failed. However numbers can be used to say whatever you want. That 50% sounds terrible , but the sampling is only six people!!!! I know that is NOT what you are refering to, only my example of what perceptions can be.

HOWEVER, for all those XC owners, it is very important you disable the stop to neutral thing that volvo did with those transmissions, that just helps wear the tranmission out faster! [thumbup] FOT THOSE that don't know, in 2001 and a few other years the geatronic was designed to come to a complete stop and put itself in neutral autmatically. Then when you step on the gas the car would put itself back in drive and go. This usually had a slight jerk associated with stop and go activity. (It did not move the shifter, only the tranmisssion internally). There is a software update to VADIS to remove this feature. My transmission felt very smooth after this was done. Also preventative maintenance like replacing the transmission fluid helps keep it going strong.

[steelo]

Thank you for starting this thread.
I was beginning to think I was doomed with my 2001. (75K)
I love to hear success stories with people and their Volvos.
I understand that the most trouble was with the 01 transmission. They changed to Haldex? from 2002.
I still have my 98 V70T5 with 240K going strong and its amazing how I forget those stupid repairs (the usual suspects. ABS, Air Flow Meter and Stereo.) (Master window switch and rear Central locking motor currently being repaired) because the car itself was so great and enjoyable to drive. I can't bear the thought of selling it now we have the XC. PLEASE keep up the stories of hope. (include your mileage and MY) I plan to keep up a good service regimen based on excellent information from this site.
Regards from OZ. [thumbup]

[funglenn]

There is gloom and doom on swedespeed's S60R forum, which is my other car. My wife and I both love to drive that car and it puts a smile on our faces. Again you are going to hear about the issues... who checks in to say that things are going great?

One of the thing that really angers me is people never mention the context. Once I was reading a post about a guy on the S60 forum complaining of car issues, but then later on a friend posts that the guy drives the car very hard and like a maniac....then he wonders when it breaks. That is not surprising. People never mention that they abuse the car or that the car had been flooded or crashed or whatever.

Not everyone does, but you never know the context. Are people pulling boats with these cars? Hauling stuff daily? Who knows?

Just enjoy the car.

[VICIII]

got 90K on my 01.
couple of sway bars, trans update at 50K.
not a problem. Very good car for 90,000...
If I have to put $2500 for a trans and it goes another 50K it is worth it...

[John@CdnRockies]

Have to admit to funglenn that I am one of those people who tows (a 3,000+ lb sailboat in my case) with his XC.;) Have taken it right across the Rocky Montain Range (3 major ranges in the 10,000 foot league) several times and the car runs like a trooper.

We have over 100,000 kilometers on the clock with only a wheel bearing (fully covered under warranty) requiring replacement. When not towing the boat, our XC is the family ski wagon ... heading right up those same mountains lin poor winter driving conditions. AWD and DSTC has been flawless and certainly appreciated.

The car has been great and I will buy another one when it finally expires - but that will probably only be in another ten years.;)

John

[mitchgat]

I'm feeling better already. I think our forum needs this now and again. It's way too easy to bitch, I'm afraid, and as one of the other posters indicated, cars working well don't seem worth talking about....boy, is our world backwards!

[JRL]

[quote=JRL;76699]

JRL,

I normally agree with your posts, but what data do you have? For example I see on this boards informal poll 50% of the tranmissions have failed. However numbers can be used to say whatever you want. That 50% sounds terrible , but the sampling is only six people!!!! I know that is NOT what you are refering to, only my example of what perceptions can be.

HOWEVER, for all those XC owners, it is very important you disable the stop to neutral thing that volvo did with those transmissions, that just helps wear the tranmission out faster! [thumbup] FOT THOSE that don't know, in 2001 and a few other years the geatronic was designed to come to a complete stop and put itself in neutral autmatically. Then when you step on the gas the car would put itself back in drive and go. This usually had a slight jerk associated with stop and go activity. (It did not move the shifter, only the tranmisssion internally). There is a software update to VADIS to remove this feature. My transmission felt very smooth after this was done. Also preventative maintenance like replacing the transmission fluid helps keep it going strong.
I buy and sell these.
I will not buy an 01 anymore as I've had FOUR (4) bad transmissions in 10 01's in the past two years, (40%)
I'm in the Volvo service dept. almost every day, trust me, the 01's are tough to deal with and the trannies DO blow with regularity.
If the fluid was NOT changed (per Volvo, remember THEY say no fluid change!), and the stop neutral was not erased, (that software happened only in the past year and a half), your 01 is a time bomb. If the fluid WAS changed and the S/N function removed in time, you may have a chance...
Sorry, I stick to my statement so good luck

[Tom H]

I'm feeling better already. I think our forum needs this now and again. It's way too easy to bitch, I'm afraid, and as one of the other posters indicated, cars working well don't seem worth talking about....boy, is our world backwards!

Here’s sort of a success story with a different twist. I bought my XC70 in August of 2004. Some of you may remember that I often complained about certain issues such as steering wheel clunk, side panels around the rear windows that didn’t match the body color, rough 2nd to 3rd shift and on and on. But I always said it was a very cleverly designed car. After a while it grew on me and the minor irritations vanished. I guess I really started to bond with the car. My only remaining issue and final downfall was related to my local dealership. They are complete idiots. On two of my three service visits I received the car back full of oily fingerprints and ground in grease in my carpets. Once after having the tires rotated the car began to pull to the left. Time after time they screwed something up. My rear tailgate latch needed adjustment and after watching the jerk tech fumble around for half an hour I finally waked over and showed him what to adjust. The next closest dealer was 34 miles and although much better they were just not practical for me. I searched for independents but had no luck. I have a rather critical health issue and reliability is my #1 concern in a vehicle. Out of frustration and a bit of fear I traded my XC in on a 2008 Lexus RX350 just 3 weeks ago. I simply went with statistics and Lexus is currently the most reliable car on the road in America. Sorry for the rather winded intro to my real point here.

Point is…. I really miss my XC70. Although Lexus may be rated as the most reliable, in IMO it doesn’t come close to comparing to the XC in almost every other area. Reviewers say the XC70 materials are not up to Lexus standards. I beg to differ. The XC interior is superior unless you have a thing for hard plastic and seats that feel like a wooden bench. The XC fit and finish is equal to and in many areas superior to the Lexus. The pure functionality of the XC’s interior is so vastly superior to the RX350 that it’s almost laughable. I don’t know why it is that Volvo can’t improve a bit in the area of reliability because if you really survey the market you will find the XC to be in a class of one in terms of it’s functions and features. The ride alone in the XC is worth the price. It is just an incredible car that gets a bad wrap in the quality and reliability areas. When I was searching for a replacement for the XC I must have looked at nearly everything out there and couldn’t find anything that came close. I finally picked the RX350 based only on the reliability factor. Now I regret it. I believe the XC is one of the most well thought out cars I’ve ever owned in my 56 years. So finally, the XC70 is a Hugh success in my book but unfortunately because of a weak dealership I regrettably had to part with it.

[Wsvolvo1]

hello all,

I have an 03 with 169,000 miles on it. engine has been trouble free, only major issue has been with the wheel bearings (from what I have been told, after 80 - 90K the bearings start to go) - have replaced all of them. 140k miles on original brakes. I have regularly done all major maintenance. run synthetic oil.

[curtis]

I strongly agree it is discouraging to here negativitey on our beloved volvo's. However the negative issues being posted are informative and helpfull for fellow XC owners. ask yourself this, How often do you read GOOD news on the cover of the newspaper? It's either this guy killed so and so or other depressing information... but like others have said it's the nature of us report things that are negative or out of the ordinary.

I personally have owned 3 volvos... which have had drastically different reliability, for instance.
Car 1 1994 850 t5 had 170kms upon purchase and the motor and tranny both went within a week of each other at 200kms totall investment in that car was 7500.$$

Car 2 1994 850 t5 had 300kms purchased for 2000$ still running perfect today with 465kms originall drivetrain.

car 3 2001 XC 88miles cost 10 000$ car in shipping havent recieved yet...
could last well ..... could blow the tranny the first week.

My wife baught a 2004 cavalier which had the motor replaced due to a damaged head at 15000 kms.... not even a year old..... It's really a gamble with vehicles new or second hand. But alot boils down to maintenance and vehicle abuse. and oh ya, cavalier is getting the boot with the XC on it's way. [thumbup]

[funglenn]

[quote=funglenn;76710]
I buy and sell these.
I will not buy an 01 anymore as I've had FOUR (4) bad transmissions in 10 01's in the past two years, (40%)
I'm in the Volvo service dept. almost every day, trust me, the 01's are tough to deal with and the trannies DO blow with regularity.
If the fluid was NOT changed (per Volvo, remember THEY say no fluid change!), and the stop neutral was not erased, (that software happened only in the past year and a half), your 01 is a time bomb. If the fluid WAS changed and the S/N function removed in time, you may have a chance...
Sorry, I stick to my statement so good luck

JRL,

You provided the background facts, and that is the important thing. I lend your statement credibility because you have some actual data as opposed to "I heard somewhere that......"
Also I completely agree about the need to flush the tranny and do the software update, I did both and am an advocate of trans fluid change, no matter what the dealer tries to tell me. There is nothing normal about fluid lasting forever, physics is physics, the stuff will break down and collect particles, etc.

Thanks

FunGlenn

[birddog]

Best car I've ever owned. Would do it all over again given the opportunity.[thumbup]

[bwik]

Consumer Reports forgets that many Volvo XC owners make $250,000+ per year. They don't really give a rat's ass if it costs a few grand to keep running once in a while.

Owners matter more than reliability. Volvo XCs have very wealthy owners in general. So, they will last a long long time.

[PJ810]

I've always had unusual, rare or expensive cars to maintain. Rover SD1, Peugeot 605 (times 3), Triumph, etc.

My 2001 XC70 is a dream. Sure, I still need to sink money into it but being a mainstream car I can go to a specialist mechanic who knows them and can fix anything within the day. They usually have parts in stock. So from a "living with the car" point of view, it's by far the best car I've had.

During my (admittedly short) ownership, she hasn't faulted me once. Runs smooth, transmission is smooth, and everything works.

235K kms on the clock. Yet it feels and looks like a new car. Friends who have seen me with it have asked if I bought it brand new. Nope, 232K kms when I bought it!

It runs better than the family's 1999 V70XC and feels MUCH newer. The other one has about 140K kms on the clock. So nearly 100,000km less.

Big diff is that my 2001 had a rich first owner who spared no expense. I also am sparing no expense to stay one step ahead of problems and keep her in top condition.

I see a car that's going to serve me for many years to come... free of any major problems.

Normal wear and tear is part and parcel of owning a car.

[funglenn]

Consumer Reports forgets that many Volvo XC owners make $250,000+ per year. They don't really give a rat's ass if it costs a few grand to keep running once in a while.

Owners matter more than reliability. Volvo XCs have very wealthy owners in general. So, they will last a long long time.

I need to go ask my boss for a raise [cussing] But seriously, what other car like this is out there? The audi Allroad? Please.... [sly]

[PJ810]

But seriously, what other car like this is out there? The audi Allroad? Please.... [sly]

Subaru Outback. In Australia very popular and regarded as a much better car than the XC70.

[bwik]

I need to go ask my boss for a raise [cussing] But seriously, what other car like this is out there? The audi Allroad? Please.... [sly]


Yeah, I am poor but then again I don't own a 2001 XC, that's my mom's car.

There are people who could drive an S-class benz but buy large Volvos instead. Actually, there are a lot of people like that

[VolvoStew]

Best car I've ever owned. Would do it all over again given the opportunity.[thumbup]

Well, I'd second that...

My wife has a '02 XC and other than a few minor (and I mean minor) issues and routine maintenance, 95,000 and gong strong.

It’s been such a good car that I bought another brand new ’07 XC70 and brought it home last night. It now has 156 miles on the odo and going strong. I expect another 199,844 clear sailing miles.
main

[funglenn]

Subaru Outback. In Australia very popular and regarded as a much better car than the XC70.

I agree Subarus have great quality, but I see them as a step down from a Volvo in terms of status. Maybe I am off the mark on that one..could be my personal bias! :cool:

[funglenn]

Yeah, I am poor but then again I don't own a 2001 XC, that's my mom's car.

There are people who could drive an S-class benz but buy large Volvos instead. Actually, there are a lot of people like that

I agree with that statement. Instead of a pretentious BMW 3 series or Mercedes C-Class sport I bought myself an S60 R after our love of the XC70. The R is definitely a different car and is under most people's radar screen....a wolf in sheep's clothing! [thumbup]

[kbdixon]

My 2002 has 158,000 miles and still runs as well as it did when I bought it, I do not dealer maintain the car I have an indy mechanic who I trust to fix things properly. I do maintain it by the book and run synthetic oil only, I have had only a couple of big repairs no trans or other drive train issues. Stabilizer struts in front once a year rear wheel bearings this year. It still runs strong and economically, has developed an oil appetite(seal in the turbo area) to be replaced. I do not baby this car as I use it mostly for business travel and utility. I pull a boat with it (18' Wellcraft center console with outboard) no problem,even when dragging it 600 miles after purchase. I fully expect to finish '08 closer to 200k if not there and expect to keep heaping abuse on it until it breaks, I often think of getting something else but I find the utility of this beast and it's durability quite attractive.
Regards,KD

[Mitch]

Consumer Reports forgets that many Volvo XC owners make $250,000+ per year.

Shoot...does this mean I have to take a pay cut?

[PierreC]

Best car I've ever owned. Would do it all over again given the opportunity.[thumbup]

I fully agree ... It may not be the perfect car in any single area but when considering all aspects, this is really a great car! Not the most powerful but enough power; not the most entertaining roadholding but enough grip and roadholding ability to be very good; not the most capable off-road but enough capability to have taken me safely and in comfort to some magnificent places; not the best fuel consumption but a great deal better than almost any other SUV with half the capability; not the most desirable car on the block but that is personal anyway - and there is not much else that I want regardless of price; not the most reliable but certainly as good as your average Audi, better than VW, probably as good as BMW and most Merc's ... not the safest - oops! - probably the safest in its class and better than most!

Frankly, the only upgrade I would consider would be to a run-out 2007 model ... but then my 2002 with 120.000 kms is doing just fine, is still in really great shape and good for most likely as long as I want to drive it. After a recent transmission flush it is very smooth again, and if I have to spend a few bucks on it - so be it. It is still the car that I choose to drive whenever I can ...

[Forkster]

Consumer Reports forgets that many Volvo XC owners make $250,000+ per year. They don't really give a rat's ass if it costs a few grand to keep running once in a while.

Owners matter more than reliability. Volvo XCs have very wealthy owners in general. So, they will last a long long time.I am curious if that refers to NEW XC70 owners, or USED XC70 owners? I purchased mine used but I make waaay less than $250k a year. Close to 3 X less that number. :D

My XC70 - not one issue but I am a maintenance nutt. Wife complains I spend too much money on little items here and there (preventative). She complains that her cars never needed all the stuff I put into them. Mind you, when I met her, her Suzuki Sidekick needed new rotors, new clutch, and new tires. I wonder why she complains.... :D

[striperhound]

No way do I make 250K a year. I wonder what the $250K a year crowd does for a living?

I looked long and hard before leasing my first Volvo, a 2007 XC 70. I can carry some home remodeling material, transport kayaks and get decent mileage. Horsepower's decent, but when flying down the road I don't need a lot more.

Overall, very happy! I do need a BIG raise

[mydogchuck]

As far as the Subaru Outback goes, in the mountain town where I live, they're all over, and have been the "unofficial" car of the area. However, I'm seeing more XC70's every day...although that may be because I notice them now that I have my 03. After 9 months and 12k miles, I verbalize my love for it every time I drive it. It's making my wife jealous. Besides, have you ever tried to sit in an Outback? It'll put your legs to sleep.

[edwa]

No way do I make 250K a year. I wonder what the $250K a year crowd does for a living?

I looked long and hard before leasing my first Volvo, a 2007 XC 70. I can carry some home remodeling material, transport kayaks and get decent mileage. Horsepower's decent, but when flying down the road I don't need a lot more.

Overall, very happy! I do need a BIG raise

It's as if I had wrote that myself! I took a serious look at the Outback before getting my second Volvo as my brother swears by them and he is really hard on cars. I definitely was impressed by them but by the time you get the bigger engine, so it doesn't feel like its over working, the price was close to the Volvo's. I too love driving the car, and after 6 and a half months of driving a Hyundai in Australia I'm in heaven being back in my Volvo!

[budrichard]

I thought about this today. Here I am driving a 5 year old XC with 72k miles that drives like new, that has been stuck in deep snow drifts on snow mobile trails, had the front end suspended on the skid plate after the ground gave way, driven through countless fields and back roads. My other XC is 9 years old and at 102K miles still going strong.
Each has followed the Volvo Service Manual and no more. I'm fairly well satisfied. While my contempories buy/lease and turn over vehicles, I'm saving money and still have safe reliable transportation.-Dick